Suction cleaner



C. w. TRAUT suc'rIoN CLEANER Filed July 2s. 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lnk Y w. .hv Q

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. INVNTOR Conrad W Traut Y ATTORNEY c. w. TRAu-r 2,182,457

suc'rIoN CLEANER Filed July. 23. 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /z\ a) jf 5m y j .INVENroR Conrad WY-au l ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 5, 1939 UNITEDv STATES sUo'rroN CLEANER Conrad W. Traut, North Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio;

a corporation of Ohio Application July 23, 1937, Serial No. 155,250

2 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in suction cleaners, and more particularly to an improved treatment of the suction mouth of a suction cleaner nozzle preferably including a rotary 5 agitating member characterized by beater elements projecting a short distance beyond the plane of the suction mouth and producing a beating action on the carpet calculated to facilitate the dirt removal.

As well known in the art, the removal of the dirt from a carpet is due primarily to the suction created at the nozzle mouth whereby the air is drawn into the nozzle through the carpet in contact with the marginal surfaces of the lips surrounding the nozzle mouth. Hence it is important that a close sealing contract be maintained between the carpet surface and the nozzle and, as shown in an earlier application, Serial No. 59,509, filed January 17, 1936, now Patent No. 2,103,099, issued December 21, 1937 (and of which this application is in part a continuation), the nozzle mouth is substantially wider at its ends than throughoutits central portion in order to promote a condition of uniform sealing contact entirely around the suction mouth.

It is to this feature that the previous disclosure was directed, although it did show another improved feature, namely, the provision of shallow lugs or ribs projecting downwardly from the surface of the end lips of the nozzle and in line with a point at which the beater elements on the agitator project below the plane of the nozzle mouth.

The purpose of these ribs or lugs is to prevent the beater elements from contacting elevated or uneven portions of the floor surface'in such manner as to damage thebeater bars or mar the floor surface or both. For example, in maneuvering the cleaner from one carpet or rug to another over bare floors, the ribs at each end of the nozzle 40 mouth would prevent the beaterbars from contacting the upstanding edge of a oor board or a narrow threshold, by acting as a skid to elevate the nozzle sufliciently to insure the beater bars clearing such obstructions. And, with a. suction mouth substantially widened at its ends the necessity for protecting the beater bars against injury as well as preventing damagethereby, is of especial importance. Hence, it is the object of the present invention to provide the two-fold protection above referred to, but not necessarily confined to nozzle mouth of any particular configuration or dimensions.

`A preferred embodiment of our invention is disclosed in the accompanying drawings in 55 which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a suction cleaner, with the nozzle portion thereof shown in vertical section taken on line I-I of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the cleaner showing the shape and construction of the nozzle 5 mouth and parts associated therewith, and

Figure 3 is a view in side elevation of the front or nozzle portion of the cleaner shown in section in Figure 1.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a suction cleaner 10 to which the present invention is especially applicable, consists generally of a wheeled'caslng I extended transversely throughout its forward portion to form an elongated nozzle section or chamber 2, having a downwardly opening suc- 15 tion mouth 3 formed in part by the forward edge of a removable bottom plate 4 for the suction chamber 5, extending rearwardly from the nozzle 2. Immediately above the suction chamber 5, and separated therefrom by a wall 6 is a fan 20 chamber enclosing a fan I driven directly by a motor enclosed within'itscasing 8 supported on top of the main casing I. Extending downwardly into the suction chamber 5 and axially through a circular opening 6a (termed the fan 25 eye) from the fan chamber, is an extension of the fan hub 1a having at its lower end a pulley 'Ib carrying a belt 9 extending forwardly through the suction chamber 5 and driving an agitator I0 extending lengthwise of the nozzle 2 and dis- 30 posed symmetrically with respect to the suction mouth 3 with its periphery tangential with the plane thereof. The agitator consists primarily of a cylindric metallic shell journalled upon an axial shaft II, which in turn is supported in bearing plates I2 so designed thaton removing the bottom plate 4 the entire agitator may be removed from the nozzle for the purpose of making adjustments or repairs. However,v the mounting of the agitator forms no part of the present invention and therefore further details will be omitted. Similarly, the agitator, being of standard design, need not be described in detail except to identify the pair of beater bars I3 (extending throughout the length of the agitator, 45 each traversing an angle of 180 degrees while followinghelical paths from a common meeting point at one end of the agitator to a meeting point at the opposite'end) and two brushes I4, each extending throughout one-half of the length of the agitator between the beater bars and one spaced 180 degrees from the other. And nally midway the ends of the agitator is provided a groove Illa forming the pulley for the driving belt 9. And as to the action and function of the agitator, it is suilicient to say that it rotates at a high rate of speed, and the beater bars I3 and brushes I4 striking the carpet produce a beating effect that dislodges the dirt and renders it more easily removable by the suction.

Now, the nozzle opening or suction mouth 3, in accordance with the standard practice, is

preferably surrounded by flat horizontal surfaces termed lips. Moreover, these lips are preferably shaped or stamped from sheet metal, and either fastened to the nozzle section 2 orvformed integral Awith some other member mounted within the nozzle section. Thus for example, the rear lip of the nozzle opening or mouth is a-transverse extension 4a formed integral with the front edge of the bottom plate 4 and having the form of a `flat loop as clearly shown in Figure 1. the end lips I 5 at either end of the suction mouth 3 are formed integrally with the bearing plates I2--I2 mounted in each end of the nozzle casing 2 for supporting the agitator shaft II. In fact, the lips I 5 are merely4 right angular flanges along the lower edges of the bearing plates I2-I2 which project outwardly from the ends of the nozzle as clearly shown in Figures. 2 and 3.

Now, as a means of anchoring the outer ends of the rear lip 4a.to the rearmost ends ofthe end lips I5, the outer extremities of the former are preferably bent forwardly at right angles to form fingers 417-411, each provided with a downwardly facing notch 4c (Figure 3) adapted to engage a detent I5a fixed to the upper surface of each end lip I5. In this way the bottom plate 4 may be removed for access to the chamber 5, housing,

vthe pulley shaft 'Ia and the driving belt 9, whereupon the lips may be again joined together when the bottom plate is replaced. And, to complete the suction` mouth 3, a sheet metal lip forming member I6, generally L-shaped in section, is permanently fastened to the front upright wall of the nozzle section 2 by means of rivets I 1, the

extreme ends of said member beingl preferably curved rearwardly through an angle of 90 degrees to abut the adjacent ends of the lips I5, I5. And finally, a strip of relatively soft rubber I8 extends around the three exposed sides of the nozzle section 2 and serves as a resilient guard to protect furniture. from damage by contact with the cleaner during its operation. ,Y

The shape of the nozzle mouth as it appears in -Figure 2, is slightly irregular being somewhat wider throughout its end. portions than at its central portion, the direct result of widening the ends of the suction mouth being to increase the suction areas at each end and` thereby produce a correspondingly increased suction or lifting force upon the adjacent portions of the carpet.

To complete the nozzle construction, it is usually desirable to provide a guard 20 extending transversely of the suction mouth at the center thereof and in alignment with the belt pulley groove Illa. The purpose of this guard is to prevent the fringes of rugs and the like from being caught between the belt and the agitator. The guard herein disclosed is preferably made from a piece of heavy steel wire shaped to provide `a pair of parallel arms terminating in a loop at its outer or free end and a pair of laterally projecting arms at its inner end, whereby the guard is pivotally anchored to the nozzle section just above the central portion of the lip forming member I6, so that it can be swung outwardly in order to permit the agitator IB to be removed. Otherwise it simply straddles the nozzle mouthto prevent the fouling of the driving belt.

As a means for affording added protection both to floor surfaces and to the cleaner, the nozzle is provided at the extreme ends of its mouth with a pair of ribs or fins 2|, preferably formed by depressing a short mid-section of the outer edges of the end lips I5, I5. 'I'hese ribs or fins need not project more than a small fraction of an inch below or beyond the plane of the nozzle mouth as shown in Figures l and 3, but this is quite sufficient so long as the same project below the beater bars I3 of the agitator, and thus act as skids to raise the nozzle and carry it over any projections on, or unevenness in, the iloor surface, and thus prevent contact with the` beater oor surfaces, particularly in wheeling of the cleaner from one carpet to another, and in negotiating door sills and the like during the operation of the cleaner in the customary manner.

Having set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, I claim:

1. In a suction cleaner, the combination of a casing including suction-creating means and a nozzle having a. .downwardly opening suction mouth, supporting Wheels mounted on said casing adapted to support said nozzle at a predetermined distance above the floor level, a rotary agitator mounted in said nozzle and having nonyielding carpet contacting elements on the surface thereof adapted to project below the plane of said suction mouth, and relatively short ribs projecting from the surface of the nozzle mouth at the ends of said nozzle and to at least the same extent as said carpet contacting elements.

2. In a suction cleaner, the combination of a casing including suction-creating means and a nozzle having a suction mouth surrounded by downwardly facing lips, carrier wheels mounted on said casing and supporting said nozzle with its vlips spaced a predetermined distance above the floor level, a rotary agitator mounted in said nozzle and having non-yielding carpet contact elements, on the surfacethereof adapted to project a short distance below the plane of said suction mouth, and projections formed on the'faces of said lips at the ends of said nozzle and'posi` 

